"You shouldn’t be abusive to people you’ve asked to take part in your show. On Britain's Got Talent, we had all sorts of contestants but if you invite people to take part in your show and compete, don’t go to national papers during the competition and bury them the way that he did.

"And then when you get challenged on it, don’t look all shell-shocked and outraged. The audience were on her side."

Piers then went on to accuse the Australian choreographer of "body-shaming" Gemma, when Jason referred to big lifts.

He continued: "I admire her, already she’s doing that better than I could do. All that stuff about 'we’re not going to see big lifts', what he means is, you’re overweight is that he’s saying to her.

Gemma hit out at Jason Gardiner during Sunday's live show (Image: Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Jason compared Gemma to the tragic Anna Nicola Smith (Image: ITV)

"He’s body shaming her, he’s abusing her. I don’t know her, I've met her a couple of times and she strikes me as an entertaining reality star, but she’s giving it everything she’s got.

"I admire the attempt to try and be better than she clearly is and for Jason Gardiner to be burying her in the press in the week I think it completely wrong."

Taking to Twitter afterwards, Piers quipped: "Mr Gardiner loves dishing it out, but doesn't like it coming back at him."

Gemma dubbed Jason's critique as "boring" during Sunday's live show, admitted her confidence has taken a huge knock by negative press over the past week.

Jason labelled Gemma as "lazy" in an interview last week, adding: "So I’d say to Gemma, if you really do care about being a role model, and you understand the power and the privilege of the ­platform that has been afforded to you, then don’t quit Dancing On Ice.

"Quit the BS and just apply yourself. I don’t want to watch a circus."

Following his clash with Gemma on Sunday, when he compared her Marilyn Monroe impression to "more Anna Nicole Smith", he took to Twitter to defend his criticism.